Most modern explosives are reasonably stable and require percussive shock or other triggering devices for detonation. Energetic materials are especially vulnerable to elevated temperatures, with possible consequences ranging from mild decomposition to vigorous deflagration or detonation. Energetic materials can also be initiated by mechanical work through friction, impact, or electricity (e.g., current flow, spark, electrostatic discharge, or electromagnetic radiation). Other stimuli (e.g. chemical incompatibility) can have consequences ranging from mild decomposition to detonation.
The sensitivity of explosives, especially liquid explosives, to any kind of heat, impact, friction, electrostatic discharge or shock poses a serious problem in their handling, transporting and storing. There are few methods known in the art for desensitizing liquid explosives in order to facilitate their safe handling and storing. Thus far, desensitization of liquid explosives has generally been accomplished by the addition of some type of a diluent which lowered the shock sensitivity by solvation to the point where the liquid explosives could be handled with reasonable safety. The diluents were either water soluble, volatile compounds, such as acetone and ethyl alcohol or water-insoluble, nonvolatile compounds, such as triacetin and dimethylphthalate.
However, these kinds of diluents posed serious hazard in the storing and transporting of such desensitized liquid explosives. When using volatile solvents, evaporation could occur, resulting in a progressive sensitization with a relative increase in shock sensitivity. Furthermore, if any of the desensitized explosive is inadvertently spilled, the volatile diluent quickly evaporates leaving the highly sensitive explosive for disposition.
British Patent No. GB 731427 discloses a desensitized solution comprising at least one normally highly explosive, liquid, nitric ester and as a desensitizing agent, a liquid, water-soluble substantially nonvolatile compound being capable of subsequent removal by water extraction.
Another method for the desensitization of an explosive is disclosed in British Patent No. GB 746826, which method comprises forcing the explosive material under a pressure less than 20 times the pressure existing on the explosive in the ambient.
British Patent No. GB 830843 discloses a method for the manufacture of explosives based on liquid explosive nitric esters in which a liquid explosive nitric ester and water are piped separately to an emulsifier and the resulting emulsion transported through a pipe or pipes. The method of reducing the hazard in the transport of the resulting emulsion when a hazardous change in its condition has been indicated consists cutting off the flow of nitric ester to the emulsifier and continuing but diverting the flow of the water in such a way that it passes through the emulsifier and the emulsion transport pipe or pipes to a wash tank.